On Wednesday, Saudi authorities ordered the closure of schools in several regions of the Kingdom after heavy rains flooded a large number of roads, in a new wave of heavy rains hitting the Gulf desert region, while the National Emergency, Emergency and Disaster Management Authority in the Emirates announced an increase in the level of preparedness and readiness of the national system to deal with… With the expected weather on Thursday and Friday.
Video clips from Agence France-Presse showed cars partially submerged, trying to make their way through pools of water in the Qassim region (main Kingdom), home to more than 5 million people, knowing that this is one of the areas. which was exposed to heavy rain on Tuesday.
The National Meteorological Center issued a “red alert” for the Qassim region and several other regions, including the eastern region overlooking the Arabian Gulf, the capital, Riyadh, and the Medina region near the Red Sea in the west.
The government center warned of “heavy rain accompanied by high winds, lack of horizontal visibility, hail, torrential rains, and thunder” in these areas.
The education departments in the Eastern Province and Riyadh decided to cancel in-person classes on Wednesday and move them to distance learning.
Medina’s Department of Education published on platform X pictures of maintenance workers repairing electrical and air units and removing accumulated water in schools, according to Agence France-Presse.
On Wednesday morning, water collected in several streets in Riyadh, which is home to more than 8.5 million people, without affecting traffic, while rain continued to fall in cloudy weather and cold
Rainstorms and floods are common in Saudi Arabia, especially in winter, and larger and denser cities sometimes have problems with rainwater drainage.
An expert team of scientists said in a study published last week that global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions is “most likely” behind the record rainfall that hit the region.
The UAE raises its alert level
In the UAE, the National Emergencies, Emergencies and Disasters Management Authority announced today, Wednesday, increasing the level of preparedness and readiness of the national system to deal with the weather conditions expected to see the country Thursday and Friday.
In preparation for the expected weather changes, the Ministry of the Interior, in coordination with the National Emergency Management Authority, proposed the distance learning system for Thursday and Friday for all educational institutions, with ‘ a decision is made by the competent authorities at the federal level.
It was also recommended to implement the remote work system for all government institutions and the private sector for Thursday and Friday, except for essential jobs that require physical presence, or those involved in depression response and recovery work.
In terms of preventive measures, the Ministry of the Interior, in coordination with the Emergency Authority, decided to close all roads leading to areas of the valley stream, waterways and dams during the period of weather
On the other hand, the UAE Ministry of Health revealed that there were few diseases related to water pollution after the recent floods that the country witnessed.
The National Center of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi had announced that moderate to heavy rain was expected in several areas of the Emirates, accompanied by lightning and thunder at times, and the possibility of small hailstones, starting on Wednesday night. Thursday.
It should be noted that on April 16, the UAE witnessed heavy rainfall in quantities not seen in 75 years, which led to flooded roads and homes and disrupted movement.
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2024-05-01 10:27:35
